Darkness Meets Light
by Hinata6
Summary: A person who has become consumed with hatred and revenge has been lost within his own web of darkness. But she has always been in the purest of light. Will the light be able to shine it's brightness into the dark world of Uchiha Sasuke?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This was originally one whole one-shot but I decided to cut it in half and make it into a multiple chapter story. It will most likely be four chapters at the most since originally this was over nineteen pages. I will be updated this every other day, since it's already completed.

Summary: A person who has become consumed with hatred and revenge has been lost within his own web of darkness. But she has always been in the purest of light. What happens when darkness meets the light? Will the light be able to shine it's brightness into the dark world of Uchiha Sasuke?

-0-0-0-

The fourth great ninja war has finally come. It's the first war that this generation of younger ninja has experienced. For Hyuga Hinata she was nervous, she didn't know what to expect. But of course she has the willpower to go on. Giving up isn't an option. She must prove herself to everyone that she isn't the one to give up so easily. After her battle with Pain, she felt a new boost of confidence. After a few days from the invasion, Hiashi, who hadn't been in Konoha during the time, had praised her for her efforts standing up to an Akatsuki member. It was a rare treat to be praised by her father. It definitely lifted her spirits up.

But what's happening currently was the main event. The war. She and her division were perched up in the trees, watching the surrounding area. "Byakugan." The whisper was said so softly that it was barely audible. She scanned the area until her eyes picked up a tremendous chakra.

Kurotsuchi gazed over at the Hyuga noticing the bulging veins surrounding her eyes. She couldn't resist the shiver that swept through her spine at the sight of the Byakugan. The dark haired female has heard about the Hyuga clan. From what she was told they are a very prestigious clan that is one of the oldest and most powerful clans in Konohagukure. But this is her first time actually seeing the Byakugan in person. Her pink pupil-less eyes then gazed over at Neji, _'He's a Hyuga as well.'_

"Do you see something, Hinata-sama?"

Hinata nodded head, her eyes widening more by the second. "I…I think it's Sasuke-kun." She spoke into the thick foggy air.

"What? You can't be serious." Karui voiced, her eyes narrowed in the direction Hinata was currently looking in. She wanted nothing more but to get her hands on the Uchiha and beat him until there was nothing left to beat.

"I'm positive. It's him." She deactivated her kekkai genkai. "What should we do?" She asked her team members. Her voice sounded unsure. This is Sasuke Uchiha. Should they pursue him? Or should they leave that part to Naruto? Judging by the looks of Karui and Kurotsuchi, they wanted to pursue him. Neji seemed to be going over other possibly solutions.

"I say let's get him." Kurotsuchi responded, a smirk stretching across her face.

Karui stood up on the higher branch of the tree, determination shown in the depths of her amber colored eyes. "This is the war. We have no time to sit idly by and watch the enemy bypass us. I know Sasuke was once a comrade to Konoha but he is the enemy now, one of the biggest threats to Konoha. If we stand here and do nothing not only would we have failed our part of the mission but we would have failed our villages in capturing this bastard."

Neji knew she was right. Standing here and not doing anything isn't a good idea. Sasuke Uchiha is a traitor to the village, a village that he once belonged to. There is no hope left for him. He is completely lost in his own world of darkness. At this point, not even Naruto can pull him into the light. "She's right. So far every enemy that we have run into we have fought and defeated. We can't suddenly stop at the sight of Sasuke."

The female Hyuga nodded. Everyone did have a valid point but the one thing that kept circling her mind is Naruto. No matter how truthful Neji, Karui and Kurotsuchi are, she still believes the fight Sasuke should have is with Naruto. But voicing those thoughts would be pointless. The looks on everyone's face proved that it would be.

"Let's go." Kurotsuchi ordered.

Everyone nodded and quickly disappeared within a blink of an eye, heading in Sasuke's direction.

-0-0-0-

Sasuke walked through the thick fog in silence. He had been thankful for finally having the bandages removed. It had become irritating waiting for the moment until they were removed. He could fill Itachi's power flowing through him. It felt good. The _power_, he wanted more. This is the moment he has been waiting for. His time has come and now he will finally purify his clan by killing every person in Konoha. Each step he took would lead him closer to his goal. Sasuke couldn't help but to smirk in satisfaction at the mere thought of the Konoha people lying on the ground beneath his feet begging for mercy, sympathy that he would never give them.

Stopping in his tracks, Sasuke watched as signal leaf slowly glided down from up in the tree until it graciously made contact with the ground. His eyes quickly activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Black eyes with a red spinning shuriken style with black iris right in the middle. Someone was near him. From what he could pick up there were three…no four people making their way towards him. One chakra he recognized with ease. It was Hyuga Neji. A chakra he wouldn't forget. _'So they have sent Konoha shinobi after me?'_ He thought with a click of his tongue. What better way to start everything off by killing a Hyuga from Konoha.

Instead of fleeing from the area, Sasuke made a spot for himself against the tree waiting for them to make their appearances known. Suddenly the ground beneath his feet began to shake violently. Deciding that the ground was no longer safe, he leaped up a few feet into the air just in time as the ground crumbled creating a large crater in the ground, as he landed swiftly on one of the thick tree branches.

"Water Release: Water Trumpet."

The raven haired male, watched as a large amount of water quickly was heading his way. Doing a few quick maneuvers, leaping from branch to branch, to avoid getting hit by the water, Sasuke finally decided no wasn't the time for games. Using his Chidori through chakra flow, Sasuke concentrated the flow to form a more solid form of a senbon, shooting them in the direction the water came from.

Turning his head sharply behind him, he could see a red haired female flying down towards him from a high tree branch with a sword in her hand.

"You're mine Sasuke Uchiha!" She yelled angrily.

"Tch, annoying." He muttered. Sasuke quickly used Chidori Current to shield his body from the oncoming attack. He watched as she immediately jumped back away from him when the lighting surrounding his body stunned her. Judging from what he saw, the female was wearing a Kumogakure headband. _'So it seems Konoha have alliances. All the more people to kill, I suppose. I won't allow anyone to get in my way.'_ He jumped off the high branch and falling to the forest grounds and skillfully landed on his feet.

"Sasuke Uchiha. It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

The raven haired male slowly turned his head in the direction of the distinctive male voice. His eyes narrowed, "If my memory serves me correct, you're Neji Hyuga." Sasuke then gazed to his left noticing another Hyuga standing not too far away from Neji. He almost didn't recognize her but then a faded image of a young girl watching Naruto in the distance came to mind. Her name doesn't ring a bell which proves she never left too much of an impact for him to remember her.

"What you're doing is wrong. You've lost yourself in the darkness. I'm sure Itachi and you're family wouldn't be happy with the route you decided to take."

Hearing this put Sasuke in a blind rage. "You talk as if you know my family. You don't know a damn thing about the Uchiha clan! I'm purifying their name. They'll be happy and pleased at what I'm doing! You worthless Konoha shinobi will then beg for mercy from me. The death in Konoha will be the true revival of the Uchiha clan!"

Hinata stares over at Neji, there is a frown settled on his face at Sasuke's words. Thinking back to her childhood, from what she could remember Sasuke stuck to himself after the massacre of his clan. He never liked working with anyone and remembers how low of a score he had gotten from his assertiveness. If the Uchiha hadn't been so cold towards people she would have befriended him.

Focusing her attention back to Sasuke, her lips pressed into a thin line before speaking. "You're right. We don't know your family. And we can't relate to the devastating loss of an entire clan. But it wasn't the entire village's fault for what happened to the Uchiha clan. There are small children in Konoha. Do you plan to wipe them off the face of the earth purely because of your revenge?" She stopped speaking for a few moments, taking a glance at his face. He appeared to be listening to her but his expression was still frightening as it was before. From behind them she could hear Karui and Kurotsuchi make their appearance.

"Hn, what are you two standing around for? Let's kill this bastard already." Karui snapped, pointing her sword out towards Sasuke, who seemed unaffected by her words.

Hinata ignored the female and continued talking, "Revenge isn't everything, Sasuke. It's has consumed you with malevolence and placed you into a world of darkness. You have a chance for redemption."

Sasuke stared at her; his outward appearance didn't show how much her words affected him. It was almost as if Naruto were trying to communicate to him through her. She held that same look in her eyes as him. Determination. She was trying to get through to him in hopes to stopping him. His eyes then gazed over to the other two females. Their method was obviously suited toward attacking him. This Hyuga girl was going for a softer approach.

A widened smirk stretched its way onto his face, throwing his head back in laughter. "I have long since closed my eyes. My only goal is the darkness." Tilting his head back down as he gazed back at Hinata, amusement shown within his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. "You sound just like him. Have you been talking to him? Nevertheless, it doesn't matter. As for your question, when I say I'm going to kill everyone, I mean _everyone_." He spoke darkly, adding emphasis to the word 'everyone'.

Both Hinata and Neji frowned, showing their distaste for his choice. "This isn't getting anywhere. I say we kill him now and become the victors in this." Karui chimed in, glaring venomously at the Uchiha.

"We can definitely have the advantage. Four against one." Kurotsuchi exclaimed, eyeing everyone on her team before returning her attention back to Sasuke.

Sasuke stared blankly at them. This wouldn't be much of a fight. They might hold their own for some time but with chakra amount he has is far much stronger than they are. His eyes then locked with Hinata's. It was vexing the way she looked at him. It's the very same way Naruto looks at him. As if she understands his pain and wants to help him. Reaching his hand to his side, he pulled out his sword. "You want to fight….come at me already."

Karui wasted no time charging at the Uchiha while Kurotsuchi used a lava release technique. Sasuke but of course quickly avoided these attacks but before he could even have time to shield himself Neji practically came out from nowhere and attacked him with his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

Sasuke body continued getting knocked back until his body was fully pushed yards away from him only to feel more attacks similar to the first one. His eyes met lavender pools. So she was the one attacking him. Quickly using Chidori Current to shield his body from her attacks worked perfectly. She let out a scream of shock when the electric current made contact with her body. _'Weak.'_ He thought, turning his back on the Hyuga female. She was barely worth his time.

"Hinata-sama!" Neji voice was filled with worry. His byakugan was immediately activated, showing the fierceness within the depths of his now cold eyes. Running towards Sasuke he started to use his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms once again but the Uchiha had avoided it this time. He could see Kurotsuchi and Karui running towards Sasuke both attacking him as a team. His eyes then went back to Hinata; she appeared to be fine, struggling to stand but just fine.

"This is getting annoying!" Karui growled.

Kurotsuchi nodded her head, agreeing with the other female. "We need to hurry and defeat him." She explained. With fast speed she moved in quickly towards the raven haired male but just as she made contact with him black flames were surrounding him, creating spikes to protect him, which incinerated part of her clothing. She jumped back away from him, staring with widened fearful eyes. "Don't go near him. Those flames surrounding him will disintegrate whatever it touches!" She warned her teammates.

_'We aren't getting anywhere if he keeps protecting his body like this.'_ Neji thought.

Hinata wiped the sweat from her forehead, her pupil-less eyes watching Sasuke. He didn't appear like he broke a sweat, not even after all the attacks. "Sasuke, you don't have to do this." She spoke, trying to get through him once again watching as he deactivated the flames.

"Oh, but I do. Your pleas for me to stop are useless." Those eerie eyes were still looking at him. As if they could see everything. He felt so naked under her gaze. Narrowing his eyes in derision he let out a small growl. "I don't like the way you look at me." Within a blink of an eye he was in front of her. Placing his sword right under her chin he glared deadly at her.

"I should kill you right here and now. I wonder what Naruto will think of that? You are that same girl from the past, who held a crush on him, aren't you?" Noticing how her eyes seem to display an amount of emotion at his statement he smirked. "I can't seem to recall your name though but none of that matters." Looking behind him he noticed the others were trying to get to them. Most likely to try and save her. How pathetic. She can't even hold her own weight and is now the one who must be protected. Activating his black flames Sasuke used them as a shield, separating him and Hinata from the others.

Hilting his sword closer towards her throat, Hinata gulped as she tried thinking of a plan to get herself out of this situation. She wasn't going to let anyone down. Giving up is the last thing in her mind. From behind Sasuke, beyond the black flames she could see Neji calling out for her. _'Don't worry, I won't let you down.'_

She roughly grabbed onto the sword, taking Sasuke by a surprise. Ignoring the cut she received from the sharp sword to the blood oozing through her fingers, Hinata looked over her shoulder, noticing they were near a cliff. Getting a good grip on his clothes, she raised her hand down on his chest, delivering a blow to his chest with her juken. When Sasuke coughed, she took this moment to quickly change their positions as she Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist.

The attack had been much stronger than what Sasuke would have imagined. Every few seconds he got a chance to block an oncoming attack but was eventually hit with another one. Not liking the idea that he was getting beaten by this Hyuga girl, Sasuke forcefully grabbed her arm, ignoring the pain of the chakra seizing his hand. At seeing the cliff he grabbed his sword and easily made a blow across her stomach with his sword. He watched as she stumbled back holding onto her a stomach. _'Just a few steps and you'll fall to your demise.'_ He thought.

And just like that, she took her final step and slipped off the cliff. He could hear the others behind him, particularly Neji, screaming out Hinata's name. A smirked appeared on his face as he turned around to deal with the others. It wasn't until he felt something wrap around his ankle and pull him towards the edge. Looking down it was water. So water must be her element. Growling in anger, he tried to cut himself loose from the attachment the water had on him but it was no use. Before he could hold on any longer, he slipped and found himself hanging onto the Hyuga's ankle. "Very clever, but not clever enough." He spoke seriously, as he spiked his Chakra Current, which sent a shock to her causing her to let go of the edge of the cliff, both of them fall from the high area. All that could be heard was Neji screaming Hinata's name as the two fell beyond the sight of the Neji and the others.

-0-0-0-0-

What do you think? Throughout the entire story, I was trying my hardest to keep the characters in character. Did I accomplish that a little? I also was trying to work on my word usage something I know I'm not very good at. Please tell me what you all thought, by leaving a review if you can. x}


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all for your kind reviews. This story is mainly focused on Sasuke and Hinata, so don't expect to see very much of the other characters a lot. I would also Like to thank Jaggerte for bete'ing this. You're so kind! Thank you for helping me out. x}

-0-0-0-

Eyes slowly fluttered opened meeting the night sky which was illuminated by millions of stars. The burning of wood could be heard and smelt. Looking over to his side, the figure of a person approaching caused him to grab the closet weapon but nothing was near.

"Are you okay?"

The voice was gentle and soft and it belonged to _her_. "What's going on? Why are we out here?" The last thing he could remember was falling from the cliff. He couldn't do anything because he had used too much chakra from trying to shield his body, midway through the fall everything went black.

The Hyuga approached him hesitantly as if he were a lion getting ready to attack. His eyes latched onto her stomach, it was wrapped in bandages. The first guess that came to mind is that she healed her own wound. Could she have saved him? She did seem like the compassionate type. Or maybe she has some other motive for saving him. But he knew she couldn't have, the look in her eyes said it all. After all she's just like_ him_, in a way.

"We fell into a body of water; you were unconscious halfway through the fall. I was barely hanging on myself but I was the only one conscious so…I held onto you as our bodies hit the water."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. "Why did you do it? You could have left me for dead. I'm sure Konoha would have had a big celebration at my death." He snorted.

Hinata frowned in displeasure. "That's not true. Naruto and Sakura would never be happy if you were to die. You're their friends and—"

"Sakura doesn't give a damn about me anymore. She tried killing me several months ago." His voice was barely audible but Hinata could clearly hear the sadness in his tone but it was quickly replaced with bitterness. "And the idiot still believes he can save me. It's useless." He turned to face her, eyes no longer showing his kekkai genkai, and held her in place with his piercing black eyes. "So answer me, Hyuga. Why did you save me?"

She stared at him and hesitated for a moment before answering him, "Because no one deserves to die."

The raven haired male snorted and looked away from her. He hated how she acted so composed and merciful. Ninja aren't supposed to be this way. They are brought up to be emotionless, expressly taught not to fell compassion for their enemies. This girl wasn't fit to be a shinobi in his eyes.

He remained silent for most of the night. There wasn't much he could do seeing how his body was exhausted and drained. He could barely lift a finger. It was beneath him to be so vulnerable, especially in front of a Konoha ninja. His eyes never left her body once she stopped talking. For all he knew she could strike him when he least expected it. But so far she hadn't and he still didn't understand why. It was awkward being around someone he never once talked to in the past, despite them practically growing up together. Furthermore, this girl wasn't a girl who would follow him and send him tons of love letters hoping to get his attention. No, this girl always had her eye on Naruto. Probably about the only girl who paid the idiot any attention.

Sasuke had no intentions of talking to her. As soon as his strength comes back the first thing he would do was kill her.

"You know, after the incident with your family…" she paused when she noticed his staring at her as if daring her to speak badly of the Uchiha. "I wanted to befriend you." Hinata finished softly, almost looking rather embarrassed by it. His expression was still hardened but his eyes widened a fraction. "I know I don't know what it feels like to lose an entire family but after the loss of my mother, I felt depressed and sad. She was the only person who made me happy and cheered me up. After her death, it was as if I was completely alone."

The male Uchiha scoffed, "Alone? You have other family members. I don't see why the death of one person made you feel that way."

She smiled sadly, "Because my mother was the one who was always here for me. My father has always been hard on me growing up. I was never good enough in his eyes. Despite me coming from a privileged family and with a gifted bloodline, I was always the underdog because I was born weak and kind without the killing intent of other shinobi. When I was kidnapped at a young age, they wanted my Byakugan but my father saved me before that happened. It was a very traumatic experience for me when my uncle died; I was blamed for his death by Neji. He even tried to kill me once back during the preliminary exams. I felt guilt and grief for something I had nothing to do with. But I always felt as though it was my fault."

She sighed, looking away from the Uchiha and up towards the heavens.

"I'm sensitive, which is no secret but despite all of the terrible things that has happened it has only made me more kind and compassionate, as opposed to becoming crazy and hostile. That's what my mother would have wanted if she were around. Instead of being motivated by hate, I'm motivated to become stronger by love and hope." She explained.

Sasuke felt for some reason the line about becoming crazy and hostile had something to do with him. But he didn't make a comment about it. She must have thought highly of her mother, just as he had with his own. He missed his entire family but it was his mother who he missed the most next to his brother. She was always so kind and caring towards him. Even lifting him up whenever his father would always praise Itachi more. He'd give anything just to see her once again but he knew it would never happen. "If you're still hoping to change me, it won't work."

"After you kill everyone what will you do afterwards? There will be nothing left; you'll just be alone again."

It was true but he didn't care, Konoha meant nothing to him anymore. Disposing of them was just a goal he had, especially finishing Naruto off. After that he will restore his clan, with whom it didn't matter just as long as they weren't from Konoha. Meeting her gaze he could tell she was waiting for an answer, Sasuke almost didn't want to give her one but decided against it. "I will restore my clan."

A light blush dusted her cheeks at his reply. "I still think what you are doing is useless…Naruto, he'll stop you."

Sasuke almost didn't catch a word she said but he did however catch that last part. A frown came upon his face. "Naruto won't stop me. He'll never be able to stop me. Stop thinking so highly of him, he's not all that perfect." He snapped darkly at her as he struggled to stand to his feet as if challenging her.

Not knowing what to expect from him, Hinata quickly rose to her feet. "Why do you even want to hurt Naruto-kun? He was your friend and comrade. He hasn't done anything to you that would cause harm. If anything he still thinks of you as a friend. He even took a beating from Karui because he wouldn't sell you out. I don't understand why you would turn you back on him!"

"You're stupid, just like he is. You don't understand anything, so stop talking to me as if you do, like you can solve every problem because you can't!" He yelled loudly at her. He began taking slow, purposeful steps towards her, the glare radiating off his face froze her to the spot. It wasn't until he was right in front of her when he stopped. His hand slammed against the tree behind her, his arm only inches away from her face as his eyes meet hers.

"You think you have the answers for everything don't you? If you were in my position you'd turn out exactly the same, no matter how sweet or compassionate you seem to be. No one understands my pain. And if you think for a second that I'm going to turn good all because you can spout out a few kind words, you've got another thing coming." It was amusing watching her fearful expression. It pleased him to wipe that determination away.

He leaned forward, placing his lips near her ear, "I had planned on killing you, however…you did save my life. You should be grateful for that, Hyuga." He whispered.

Leaning away from her she gazed up at him with widened eyes. It made him tense. Sasuke wasn't the type to particularly pay much attention to girls; the only one who seemed to have pulled his attention was Sakura, despite how annoying she was. But Hinata was actually very pretty. He hadn't noticed it earlier because he wasn't paying her much attention but now that he stands a few inches away from her face he had a good, close view of her.

A blush adorned her features, most likely having to do with how close he was. This wasn't right. He shouldn't even be thinking about her, someone he barely knew, in _that_ way. Sasuke quickly pushed himself away from her and just in time as a kunai came flying in between them.

Both Uchiha and Hyuga activated their bloodline looking in the direction the kunai came from. It was very obvious that the kunai was thrown to separate him from Hinata. His eyes narrowed, "Tch, looks like you're shining knight is on his way, along with a few others."

Hinata looked in the direction and sure enough Naruto emerged along with Neji, Karui and Kurotsuchi.

Sasuke gazed over at Hinata; he could practically see the happiness in her eyes. It made him sick to his stomach. Naruto Uzumaki, savior to Konoha. What a load of crap. It was absolutely annoying. When he finally approached them, Naruto was staring fiercely at him. "Naruto…" He hissed in anger.

Naruto's blue eyes gazed over at Hinata, "What is Hinata doing with you?"

"What does it matter to you?" Sasuke's eyes followed Neji as he quickly made his way towards her. He was checking her body as if he had harmed her in some way.

"She's my friend! If you hurt her in any way, I swear—"

Hinata pushed herself from Neji and stood by Sasuke's side, "He didn't hurt me, Naruto. Nothing happened at all, not a scratch or anything." She quickly explained, unknown to her, Sasuke eyed her with surprise.

Naruto didn't seem to believe Sasuke but hearing it coming from Hinata it set him to ease. But what he saw before, the two of them standing awfully close, bothered him and actually made him slightly jealous but he knew now wasn't the time to be thinking about it. His eyes then gazed back over at Sasuke and hardened, "Neji, I want you to take the others back. I want to have a talk with Sasuke, _alone_."

"But Naruto…"

"Just go. Make sure everyone else is safe." He ordered.

Neji nodded his head as he moved forward to grab onto Hinata's hand. "Come on Hinata-sama." He pulled her along with him.

Sasuke watched as they left, Karui shot him a nasty glare before follwing her team mate but his eyes only locked with the female Hyuga. He wouldn't admit it but spending the short amount of time with her had had a deep impact on him. This time, he wouldn't forget her. When they were finally out of sight Sasuke turned his attention back to Naruto.

"So, are you ready?"

The blonde smirked, "I've been ready for a while now."

Both males ran towards each other as the sound of metal meeting metal was heard throughout the area indicating that their final battle had started.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the late update but hey the chapter is here now, right? I'd also like to thank my wonderful beta Jaggerte x who helped out with this chapter. If you're a KakaHina fan please check out Jaggerte's stories! x} There is one more chapter after this. I hope everyone will enjoy this chapter and thank you everyone for all your kind reviews.

-0-0-0-

One month had passed since that day. The fight between Sasuke and Naruto had been intense and long. Hinata could still feel their chakra, from that day, miles away, and hoping that either male wouldn't kill the other. It would have devastated her to know Naruto had been killed or even Sasuke for that matter. But, unfortunately, the war was still going on.

Her lavender eyes stared at the medic's tent, watching as Sakura walked out with a saddened expression. Concern quickly rose within Hinata as she made her way towards the pink haired ninja. "Sakura-san, is everything alright?"

Sakura turned to face Hinata, "I'm just worried about Sasuke. He's still recovering from the fight he had with Naruto and he isn't talking very much to me…" She trailed off, her eyes narrowed in thought. Realizing that she was probably ruining the mood, her expression brightened up. "I think I'm going to go check on Naruto now. Would you like to accompany me, Hinata?"

"I'll come down in a few moments." She replied.

"Well…alright. I'll be sure to tell Naruto." She grinned as she walked away from the Hyuga.

"Okay." Hinata smiled back politely at her. They were currently in their hideout, where the injured came to recover. The fight between Naruto and Sasuke resulted in Sasuke's defeat, leaving the Uchiha on the verge of death. With the little energy Naruto had left, he had carried Sasuke all the way back to camp, where he had been ever since. Hinata looked over at the tent which Sasuke resided in. She remembered how violently he acted when he found out he was surrounded by Konoha ninja. They had to quickly sedate him to protect him and themselves. He reacted the same way a few times, when he woke up, never knowing where he was or why, and there had been a few occasional times when someone would try to sneak in and kill the Uchiha but, thankfully, all such attempts were unsuccessful. Opening back the curtain, Hinata entered the tent and saw him on a tatami mat on the floor. "Sasuke-kun." She watched as his dark eyes narrowed in a heated glare before he jerked his head away from her.

"Do you plan on visiting me every day?"

Hinata smiled sadly at the state he was in. He was bound by rope infused with chakra that rendered him immobile. Walking towards him she knelt down beside him, "How come you won't talk to Sakura-san?"

A snort came out of his mouth, "I have nothing to say to her or anyone else."

This always confused Hinata because he, obviously, communicated with her and yet never once made any effort to anyone else. She had never told anyone she was able to talk to Sasuke, she knew that it would cause a stir among everyone. But it was getting to the point when someone must have noticed her visiting their bound prisoner. If Sakura had noticed she hadn't said anything to anyone about it yet.

Both Sasuke and Hinata have actually formed something of an odd relationship, becoming like acquaintances.

Sasuke could see the confusion within the depths of her lavender pools. "You always seem to answer my question with another question. Why do you seem to avoid everything I ask?" The female blushed lightly causing him to smirk at her flustered face.

"I…It's not that I do it intentionally but to answer your question…I just wanted to check up on you," she admitted lowly.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about Uzumaki than me? It'd make more sense, rather him then some traitor who threatened to kill everyone in your precious village. Might I add that I still don't plan on coming into the light anytime soon, sweet angel." He said stated her nickname sarcastically.

Hinata sighed, "There isn't much you can do being bound up like that anyways."

"Hn."

The Hyuga knew that would shut him up. "I'm going to be heading back with my division later today. We're heading back out to the war," she spoke softly to him, possibly looking for a reaction to the news but he just stared up at the ceiling. Realising that this was all she was going to get she sighed once more before standing up and heading towards the tent's opening. "I'll see you…if I return." She turned back giving him a bright smile before leaving the tent.

'_Tch, like I care if she returns or not,'_ Sasuke thought bitterly to himself. But then there was a small part of him that did care, a part of him that worried at the thought of her actually dying in the war. This girl, who he barely knew, is someone he had started to become attached to. Almost every day he waited to see her come into the tent wearing that bright smile on her face and he didn't really understand that he had come to expect, come to look forward to it until he realized that she wouldn't be doing it anymore.

Maybe it had something to do with his mother, Hinata reminded him of his mother in so many ways, and then there is the fact that she had saved his life when she could have easily let him fall to his death. Maybe it was because of her kind heart, 'The compassionate ninja'. The shinobi that would rather heal than kill. While he is alone in his own world of darkness, she is in the light shining brightly, a light that not too many ninja have. She's probably the most pure ninja of Konoha if not the entire ninja world.

'_What's wrong with me? Why can't I stop thinking about her?'_ His lips pressed into a thin line as he tried to suppress his thoughts of her.

"I noticed Hinata leaving your tent again. I would have never thought you two, of all people, would form some sort of a bond."

Sasuke hated that he was bound while lying down. It made it very difficult to see who was entering the tent. But that voice was one that he could never forget. Hatake Kakashi let go of the tent's flap before walking to Sasuke's side, "I share no bond with anyone from Konoha."

Kakashi's visible eye widened, "I didn't expect to hear you speak to me. Apparently Hinata is in your mind, since you answered my question." The grey haired male smiled behind his mask. This made Sasuke not say anything at all. Although Kakashi had only been teasing Sasuke about Hinata, it did however confirm his suspicion. From his knowledge, Sasuke had never talked to anyone since he'd been captured, not even Sakura or Naruto, but when he first caught Hinata going into the Uchiha's tent he was baffled. Why would Hinata visit Sasuke? Being curious, he masked his chakra and peeked inside the tent, and was surprised to hear Sasuke actually speaking to the shy Hyuga.

Kakashi didn't want to pry but he did want to try and see how much information he could get out of Sasuke. But the Uchiha didn't seem like he wanted to talk very much after that last comment, remaining tight lipped. Whatever was going on between Sasuke and Hinata isn't the big topic, what's more important is the war and the fact they are harboring a traitor within the confines of their hideout. The one question that has been hanging over everyone is: 'Can we trust Sasuke?' Of course the answer from mostly ninety-five percent is a resounding no. Madara has also been trying to track down Sasuke, luckily their hideout is so well hidden that older Uchiha hadn't located them yet.

"Sasuke, if I were to unbound you this very moment what would be your first instinct?"

The sharingan user glared up at Kakashi, "To kill everyone."

The masked male narrowed his eyes in contempt. This wasn't getting anywhere. The only reason he was still alive was because Naruto begged for his life. It took a lot of convincing but the higher ups finally caved. Kakashi wanted to kill Sasuke himself - despite him once being his student - Sasuke was no longer the person he used to be. "You're lucky to be alive this very moment. Be grateful to Naruto for that." Kakashi stated stiffly.

Sasuke scoffed and looked away from the older male. The sooner he gets out of this the better. The medics had restricted him from using his chakra which made it difficult to do anything. Turning his head facing the opposite side, the Uchiha pressed his lips to a thin line. "When will the second division come back?"

The words came out forcefully but Kakashi couldn't help but look surprised by his question. Why would he want to know when they would be returning? His eye then widened in realization. Hinata was on that squad. _'Maybe there is hope for him just yet.' _Kakashi smiled thoughtfully. "I can't really give you a straight answer to that. The ones who do come back are normally the injured ones."

"Hn."

Kakashi let out a sigh, "Hopefully Hinata will be safe." He reassured the Uchiha, noticing how quickly he jerked his head back in his direction.

"Who said that I'm worried about that useless girl?"

"Well you did ask about that division. And from my knowledge she is the only one you have talked to."

"Don't you have a somewhere else to be?" Sasuke asked, becoming annoyed by Kakashi's presence.

Letting out a lighthearted chuckled the older shinobi scratched the back of his head. "I suppose I am overstaying my welcome."

The Uchiha male watched in silence as Kakashi swiftly walked out of the tent as the black ops soon returned to take watch over him. He could practically feel their heated glares from the depths of their animal masks, concealing their faces from the world. None of them spoke to him; they were as silent as mice, just standing there watching him. "Hey, you." Sasuke called out to the cat masked assassin. At noticing he had caught her attention he continued. "How about removing these binds from me?"

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Uchiha. It is under Hokage-sama's order to leave you that way until she has decided what to do with you."

Sasuke hissed in displeasure. For all he knew, they were probably waiting on him to change.

-0-0-0-

Neji watched Hinata as they leaped from tree to tree. The other two girls were ahead of them which gave him enough space to talk to his cousin in private. "Hinata-sama, I wasn't going to say anything at first but it's starting to really bug me." He stopped on branch as did Hinata, who was looking at him curiously. "Why have you been visiting Sasuke?"

Hinata seemed mildly surprised that he knew. Her white eyes gazed over to the side as she nervously bit her bottom lip. "I…just felt that he would like the company."

"He's a traitor Hinata-sama. You don't need to visit him. He is the last person who needs to be pitied." He glared.

"Come on you two." Kurotsuchi's voice called out to the two Hyuga's from up ahead.

"You two go ahead, we'll be right behind you." Neji called out. The two shinobi hesitated for a moment before turning around and continuing on ahead of the Hyugas. Turning his attention back to Hinata, Neji saw how nervous she was. He couldn't even imagine Sasuke talking to her or giving her any attention. From what he knew, the Uchiha hadn't talked to Sakura or Naruto since he first arrived so what was so special about his cousin?

"Stay away from Sasuke."

"But Neji-niisan…"

"I don't want to hear it. I'm sure your father would agree with me." Hinata became silent at this half threat, causing Neji to sigh, "Look, I'm just trying to protect you," he tried to explain, "You don't know what's going on inside of his head. He could have some ulterior motive for even allowing you to get somewhat close to him. Haven't you even remotely thought about why he doesn't even talk to Naruto or Sakura? Something about it is very off to me. Just stay clear of him." He spoke.

Hinata didn't miss the concern pouring from his voice and felt bad for even speaking to Sasuke but she felt a connection to him. She didn't know why but there was a bond there. It was as if she was the light trying to pull him out of his own world of darkness, no luck so far but that didn't mean she would give up.

"Come on, let's go"

The two then leaped up and continued on their way, catching up with the other two. Unknown to them they were being watched all the while by a scaly male.

-0-0-0-

"We just got word the second division is under attack. Send backup."

"Yes, sir!"

Sasuke could hear everyone scurrying about. His eyes narrowed in thought. He could clearly hear Naruto and Sakura outside, begging Tsunade to let them go help. Knowing Naruto, he wouldn't take no as an answer. And clearly, that's exactly what happened because the only sound that could be heard was Tsunade and Sakura calling out for Naruto to come back.

The only thing that was coming to Sasuke's mind was the Hyuga. She was on that team. Before he could think any longer on it, Kakashi made his appearance in the room. His eye was narrowed at him and Sasuke couldn't help but smirk in response.

-0-0-0-

Kabuto smirked deviously at the female Hyuga. Snakes had wrapped around her body; behind him was Neji, Karui and Kurotsuchi, all unconscious. His eyes showed amusement at the pain that was very evident on her face, "Hm, it's been quite some time since I've seen you. You've grown, Hinata. That's your name if I recall." He chuckled as the snakes around her body tightened causing her to let out a yelp of pain.

The silver haired male eyed her for a few moments as his smile darkened. "You know, I've always been interested in the Byakugan. It's a very interesting bloodline." He pulled the female closer towards him, her face nearly inches away from his. His eyes narrowed in slits, staring into her Hyuga eyes.

"W-What do you want from me?"

"I want your eyes." He whispered darkly.

"Hinata!"

Kabuto turned around noticing Naruto running towards them. His smirked widened even more, "Ah, wouldn't you know it, it's Naruto-kun."

"Let go of Hinata." Naruto growled, his eyes shifting from blue to angry red while his hands formed tight fists. The blonde looked away from Kabuto to glance at Hinata to see how hurt she was and the anger began to rise within him at the sight of her. Seeing any of his friends in pain always hurt Naruto but the sight of seeing Hinata, of all people, captured by the hands of Kabuto, turned him into rage.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Naruto-kun. You see, she's very valuable to me."

"Naruto-kun…" She murmured weakly.

'_She protected me once; I can't just idly stand here and watch this.' _He thought. Just as he was about to attack, a black blur quickly flew past him and all he heard was the sound of Kabuto's voice screaming out in pain. Naruto looked and noticed it was Sasuke. But what was he doing here? "Sasuke…what are you…"

Sasuke glared down at Kabuto and his now dead snakes that once had their hold on Hinata. Ignoring Naruto's questions and glare he continued staring at Kabuto. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I never expected to see you here, Sasuke-kun. You know Madara has been looking all over for you." Kabuto spoke, the smile never leaving his face as he stood to his feet.

Hinata looked up at Sasuke; he was standing in front of her almost as if he were protecting her. "Sasuke-kun, why?" She whispered softly.

"Naruto, take Hinata away from here. Let me deal with this guy."

The blonde's eyes widened, "Sasuke, why are you protecting Hinata. I don't understand."

Sasuke activated his sharingan and glared at Naruto, "Do as I say and get her out of here!" He snapped, causing the blonde to quickly grab onto Hinata and pull her away from the area despite her pleas to leave her behind. Naruto thought he knew everything but this…was new. Questions were circling his mind as to why Sasuke protected Hinata. Furthermore, how did he come to be here? How was he released from the chakra binds? He lifted his head and noticed Kakashi ahead. "Kakashi-sensei!"

The silver haired male acknowledged the two but didn't speak until they were in front of him. "Where are you two coming from?"

"Kabuto…Sasuke came out of nowhere and told me to take Hinata. I don't understand why…" He gazed over at Hinata, who was in a daze staring off in the direction Sasuke and Kabuto were.

Kakashi sighed, "Apparently, Sasuke holds some sort of bond with her. I'm sure you haven't noticed but Hinata has been visiting Sasuke for a month now. From what he told me before I released the chakra binds, she saved him before we brought him in. I'm guessing he feels that he owes her. That or he has feelings for her."

Naruto's eyes widened, snapping his head back towards Hinata. Sasuke had feelings for her? But…that can't be. It just couldn't be right. His red eyes were now replaced with his normal blue eyes. Naruto knew Hinata held feelings for him; she told him that she loved him. It's something he would never forget; after all it was the first time he had ever heard that coming from someone. But the way Hinata reacted when he took her away from Sasuke also raised some questions.

"We better get out of here. Do you see those black flames?" Naruto nodded, "It's spreading wildly. Come on Hinata, he'll be fine. Let's go. The others are just fine; they have been rescued by my team."

Hinata slowly nodded her head and left with the two but her mind was glued to Sasuke…

-0-0-0-

Patiently she waited in the hideout with Kakashi and Naruto, wondering if Sasuke was okay. Her eyes gazed up at the night sky as Naruto approached her taking a seat next to her on the forest ground. "Hey."

Hinata turned to give him her attention as she smiled warmly at him, "Hi."

He awkwardly placed his hand behind his head, "I never knew you were visiting Sasuke. Are you two friends?"

"Not really…we've just talked. That's all."

"I see…"

The awkwardness between them was palpable. Naruto hadn't really spoken much to Hinata after her confession because he just didn't know how to handle it, and then there was the war. His priorities laid there as it was the most important thing that was currently happening. There wasn't really any room for romance. But the thought of someone loving him did warm his heart.

"He's coming."

Both Hinata and Naruto stood up at seeing a silhouette coming towards them. It was Sasuke. Both of their eyes widened, he looked pretty beat up, but here he was walking towards them. There was no killing intent radiating off of him so no one knew what his intentions were until he finally reached them collapsing on the ground.

"Sasuke!"

Hinata and Naruto both quickly rushed towards him as Hinata lifted his body up, "Sasuke-kun, are you okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay? That mutant Kabuto is dead. I killed him." He spoke lowly, his eyes fluttering over towards Hinata. He waved his hand closer silently asking her to lean in towards him.

Naruto and Kakashi watched in silence as Hinata immediately lifted her head back wearing a dark crimson blush on her cheeks. "What did you say to her?" Naruto asked, his eyes narrowed clearly showing his jealously.

"Doesn't matter what I said." He spoke lowly, ignoring Naruto's heated glare.

"What does this mean? Are you still a traitor, Sasuke?"

The male Uchiha looked over towards Hinata, noticing her curious facial expression. _'I am the darkness, but this girl has strangely become the light that's slowly lighting up my darkened world.'_ He thought with a smirk. "I'll never forgive what Konoha did to my family. But Hinata…has opened my eyes, slowly. You have her to thank." He spoke closing his eyes not wanting to see their shocked expressions. Sasuke knew that in the coming days, he and Hinata would become closer than what they were already.


	4. Epilogue

A/N: This is the final chapter everyone, the epilogue. I hope that everyone has enjoyed reading this multi-chapter story. Thank you so much for all of your kind reviews and favorites and alerts. It really means a lot to me. I'd also like to thank my wonderful beta Jaggerte who has been a big help to me, thank you so much. And now for the final chapter, I hope that you enjoy this chapter. x}

-0-0-0-0-0-

Epilogue

Sasuke stared up at the darkened night sky. A breeze whisked through his midnight raven hair. It was a wonderful night to walk and clear his mind. He loved to walk, especially in the midst of the night when no one was outside. It gave him peace to be able to clearly ponder about various memories that had happened in his past.

"_I'll never forgive what Konoha did to my family. But Hinata…has opened my eyes slowly. You have her to thank."_

That had been said nearly a year ago. Hinata, she truly had opened his eyes. He still remembers whispering the words 'thank you, Hinata' in her ear that night. Three simple words and her face turned so red, you would have thought he had confessed his love for her. Long before Hinata, it had been Sakura who had filled the void of his lonely existence but when he entered the world of pure darkness Sasuke left all thoughts of Sakura behind him. When meeting Hinata and actually speaking with her, he felt a connection, the feeling of being able to actually confide in her. If it wasn't for her Sasuke would still be engulfed deep within his darkened world. There had been plenty of times when Naruto had tried to reach out to him but Hinata was the only one who had actually reached his cold heart. She truly is a pure hearted angel.

After the death of Madara, many of the fellow shinobi throughout the world rejoiced in his defeat. He had been killed not only by Naruto but by Sasuke as well. The two had banded together as a team to defeat the one enemy whose idealism and control would have brought about a great depression felt throughout the whole shinobi world and beyond. That day had been a victory for many and a great celebration had followed it. Days after, Sasuke was brought back to Konoha to be placed under a severe interrogation before being assimilated back into his home town. Being back in Konoha as a citizen didn't sit too well with many of the people in Konoha. He had gone through hell just to be welcomed back.

With the Uchiha clan residential area destroyed from Pain's invasion, Sasuke, wanting to hold on to past memories of his family, often visits the now deserted area that was once known as the Uchiha clan's home. He know now lives on the outskirts of Konoha. With him living further away from the villagers he won't have to worry about the angry glares he receives.

Often Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi would come to visit him. But the visits had lessened over a period of time, most likely due to missions. Tsunade has ordered Sasuke to two years' probation, so he hadn't been allowed on any missions as yet.

Dark orbs scanned the area and upon spotting a bench nearby took it upon himself to sit down to relax his legs. He had been walking for nearly an hour without a break and felt the need to relax for a moment. His mind began to wander to Itachi. Would his brother be happy that he is now residing back in Konoha and out of the darkness? Surely he would be. Itachi had always wanted the best for him. He wanted him to live a happy life.

"Sasuke-kun, is that you?"

That soft well-mannered way of speaking - it was definitely her. Lifting his head up, he saw her, standing a few meters away from him. Her facial features were set to a look of concern. "What are you doing out here so late? Stalking me?" Sasuke asked dryly.

Hinata blushed from sheer embarrassment. Despite the lack of emotion in his tone, she knew that he was merely teasing her. "I just wanted some fresh air, that's all." She replied, taking a seat down next to him on the wooden bench.

Since that moment a year ago in the forest after his fight with Kabuto, Hinata and Sasuke had become closer. Their friendship was considered somewhat odd by other - a kind hearted female befriending a traitor - but that didn't stop them from becoming closer. At times Hinata was questioned by both Naruto and Sakura separately if there was anything more than just friendship going on between her and Sasuke. She responded in the negative and it was true that nothing romantic had happened between the two but it was also quite clear that they shared unspoken feelings for one another.

Her confession to Naruto had been long forgotten. She still cares for him, and that will always remain, but her heart has begun to drift to the Uchiha.

"There you go again, ignoring my other question. I swear that you do that on purpose" He turned to face her, wearing an amused smirk when he saw her reddened cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." She quickly said, scooting a few inches away from him.

Sasuke sighed, "Still not answering, I see." He prodded on, just to tease her. Although Sasuke knew she wasn't stalking him, it amused him to see how flustered she could become.

"Sasuke…" She warned, causing the male to let out a rare chuckle.

"Okay, okay I'll stop." He lifted his head up, looking at the bright stars that were scattered in the sky. Ripples of clouds could be seen above them. It was uncharacteristic of him to think but it truly was a beautiful night. Whenever he looked up at the sky he could imagine his family looking down at him; his mother smiling softly, his father giving him that rare smile of approval and last but not least his brother. "Aniki…" He whispered.

The female tilted her head to the side gazing curiously at him. He tended to drift off into a trance whenever she visited him at his home. She was never quite sure what he could be thinking about but just now it was confirmed. Hesitantly she reached out and gently placed her hand on tops of his. His head quickly turned to look down at her hand on his. Hinata watched as he stared at it for a few seconds before he turner his attention to her.

She understood him and that's what drew him in. Over the year he had become irrevocably attached to her. Just going one week without her would drive him insane. He always wanted her near, it made him feel…happy. Just like how he felt when his family were alive. She was doing this to him. He wanted to push her away but his heart wouldn't let him.

The two leaned in closer towards each other. Inch by inch the gap between them was closing. Sasuke raised his hand slowly and cupped her cheek; tilting his head to the side he pressed his lips against hers. This kiss was something he had wanted to share with her for quite some time. But he had been hesitant because of the feelings he knew she had had for Naruto.

Four months ago he finally decided to ask her if she still loved him. Her reply had been simple.

'_I still care about him. But my heart beats for another now.'_

Back then he hadn't thought much about it but now it was clear. She must be in love with him. Returning back to what was currently happening; he continued kissing her. Her lips felt just as soft as they appeared to be. The taste of her lips was strawberries; it must have been some lip gloss she was wearing. Sasuke didn't like sweets, in fact he hated them but the sweet taste of her lips made the kiss all the better. He could grow to like strawberries.

Slowly the two pulled away from each other, he still held his hand to her cheek staring deeply into her clear lavender eyes. As if he had come to a realization of what had just occurred, Sasuke quickly pulled away from her. "I'm sorry." He quickly said, unable to give her any eye contact. "I better get going," Sasuke stood up to his feet getting ready to walk away until her hands grasped onto his arm. Sasuke turned around noticing her pleading expression. She didn't want him to leave.

"Don't go…"

"Hinata, I don't want to hurt you," he stated. Slipping his arm away from her hold he turned to fully face her, "You deserve better."

Hinata shook her head, standing to her feet. "I'm usually shy and keep my thoughts to myself but…I want to be able to tell you this Sasuke," She started. "I really like you. In the beginning I'll admit that I didn't know what I felt for you but I knew it was something. And now I know what that something is. I…I want to be with you, Sasuke." It took a lot of courage for her to confess her feelings for him but by spending so much time with him she had grown to like him more and more. She tried to ignore the feeling but she couldn't. Hinata had come to love Sasuke Uchiha.

His eyes widened in surprise. To actually hear her say she wanted to be with him made his heart pound, a jittery feeling went up his spine and a blush colored his pale cheeks. What could he honestly say to that? Did he even want to be with her? Sure, he loves her but he doesn't know how to be in a relationship, this would be his first. His searched her eyes to see any duplicity but he found none.

Sasuke framed her face with his hands, pulling her face closer to his. "I don't know how to be in a relationship," he paused. "And I know that I will come to make mistakes but I'm willing to risk it if that means I get to be with you."

The female smiled warmly, she could hear the sincerity in his voice and knowing that he meant every word made her happy. "Thank you, Sasuke." She wrapped her arms around his waist as he embraced her tightly in his arms.

"No, thank you. You really don't know how much you've changed my view on things. You truly are special." He whispered.

-0-0-0-

The two walked together side by side in the busy road in Konoha, both trying their hardest to ignore the stunned expressions on the bystander's faces at the sight of both Hyuga and Uchiha together. Today was Naruto's birthday and they both decided to final go out together as a couple. It has been a month since they started dating and it had been kept a secret since neither was ready to let their friends know about it, especially Sakura and Naruto.

"How do you think they will take it?" Hinata asked, staring at Naruto's front door.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, "Not sure. We'll find out once we tell them." He spoke stoically as he knocked on the door. Once it opened, Sasuke stared blankly at the blonde standing in the doorway. "Happy birthday, idiot." He remarked dryly causing Hinata to jab him on his arm.

"Happy birthday, Naruto, we have a gift for you!" Hinata quickly chimed in trying her hardest to ignore the deadly glare Sasuke was giving her.

The sunny blonde grinned ear to ear, "Awe, thanks you didn't have to do that. I'm actually surprised you remembered my birthday. Come on in." He motioned with a wave of his arm as he stepped to the side allowing them enough room to walk through. Closing the door behind them, Naruto turned around watching the two slowly look around his apartment. "Sakura is in the kitchen. She should be out soon. Go on, sit down. You don't have to look so nervous." He chuckled.

"Who's nervous?" Sasuke scoffed, his eyes gazing down at the couch inspecting it before actually sitting down. He knew how much of a slob Naruto could be and had heard from Sakura that she had seen bugs crawling around. Today his apartment looked exceptionally clean. _'It must have been Sakura's doings.'_ He thought with a smirk.

Sakura then entered the sitting area, her jade eyes widened at the sight of Sasuke and Hinata. "I knew I heard Hinata's voice. It's good to see you two." She smiled brightly at them both, taking a seat next to Naruto in the couch opposite of Sasuke and Hinata.

The blue haired female smiled politely back, "It's good to see you Sakura and you as well Naruto. I haven't seen much of you two lately."

Naruto chuckled, "Yeah, granny has us going on missions a lot. I barely have time to eat at Ichiraku's anymore." His shoulders slumped down sighing sadly.

"I think you eat enough ramen as it is." Sasuke voiced in.

"I'll never give up ramen! It's simply the best!"

"Shut-up, you're always so loud!" Sakura yelled, hitting the blonde on his head.

Sasuke smirked, watching the two bicker with each other was something that would never grow old. It brought back many memories for him, especially when they took their first picture together as a team.

Naruto leaned forward, "So…where is this present?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. It wasn't everyday he received presents so the male was curious and excited.

"Oh, right!" She handed the male an orange wrapped box with a blue ribbon tied around it. "I hope you like it."

"Of course I'll like it!" He snickered; taking the box from Hinata he quickly shredded the wrapping paper and opened the box. At the first sight of it, his eyes immediately widened. It was a photo album and the cover was a picture of him as a baby with both of his parents. "It's my parents…" Naruto lifted his head and looked at Hinata, "H-How did you get this?"

Hinata looked over at Sasuke who nodded his head, "Well…I did a little snooping around in the Hokage's office. I got caught by Shizune but when I explained what I was looking for she decided to help me and we found that photon in one of your files and she said I could use it. I thought you'd like it. There are more pictures in there along with the ones from your academy days and—"Before she could even finish her sentence the blonde had quickly walked towards her, kneeling down in front of her and embraced her.

Both Sasuke and Sakura seemed surprised in his actions and merely stared in silence.

"Thank you, you have no idea how much this means to me Hinata." He whispered into her ear.

"Y-You're welcome, Naruto." She smiled softly, slowly wrapping her arms around him.

The raven haired male couldn't feel jealous because he knew that Naruto was happy about the gift. "Aren't you going to thank me too? The gift is from both Hinata and I." Sasuke exclaimed.

Naruto let go of Hinata staring at Sasuke, "Awe, I didn't know you wanted a hug too. Come here you big softy!" He grinned and attempted to hug Sasuke but instead received a punch in the face from the male. Naruto frowned, holding his cheek. "What the hell, Sasuke! It is my birthday."

"I said a thank you not a hug." He stated, folding his arms across his chest as if nothing was wrong.

Sakura and Hinata sighed as the two began arguing with each other, "Boys."

-0-0-0-

Throughout the day the four spent most of their time inside Naruto's apartment. Kakashi along with the others had stopped by briefly but all had eventually left. Sasuke had been contemplating over the last two hours how to break the news to Sakura and Naruto that he and Hinata had been together for a month now. Each chance he got something always occurred, from Sakura cutting him off or Naruto annoying Sakura about one thing or another and if it kept on happening he'd never be able to tell them.

Sasuke gazed over at his girlfriend. Since they have been together he hadn't made a single mistake which he was thankful for. She was always very good to him and the two had grown even closer. He still enjoys her sweet kisses but she tends to be shy about kissing him now. During their time at Naruto's she appeared to be too engrossed in spending time with both Naruto and Sakura to tell them the news. Seeing her smiling face made him smile, she was really special to him. He'd never give her up without a fight.

"Um, why are you staring at Hinata like that?" Naruto asked, raising his brow up in question.

This snapped Sasuke out of his daze, causing him to finally take this opportunity to tell them. "I…no, we, have something to tell you."

Sakura looked at both Hinata and Sasuke in concern, "What is it?" She asked, fearing the worst.

Sasuke grabbed onto Hinata's hand, "We're dating." He confessed to his two friends.

Naruto dropped the cup that had been in his hand while Sakura stared in disbelief. "D-Dating? But…I—when did this happen?" Sakura asked, feeling her heart swell.

Hinata squeezed Sasuke's hand. She could see the pain in Sakura's eyes. She truly felt as if she had literally ripped her heart out. Hinata knew how much the cerise haired female loved Sasuke. Her love for him had, or still was, as great as her love for Naruto had once been. "It's been a month now." Hinata spoke softly.

Sasuke gazed over at Naruto, he looked like he was taking it harder than Sakura but he was forcing a smile on his face despite the pain that had clearly shown through within the depths of his cerulean eyes.

"That's great! I'm happy for you two. If there is anyone who deserves happiness and to have someone to share that happiness with it's you two. I'm glad that you found each other." He grinned widely.

"Y-Yeah, I'm happy for you two as well." Sakura smiled sadly. She gazed over at the clock on the wall, "I really should get going. It's getting late. It was good seeing you two again. We should do this some other time." She said, quickly walking past the two and heading out the door.

"I'll be back." Hinata left Sasuke's side and ran after Sakura, leaving both males alone.

"Naruto…I'm sorry."

The blonde chuckled, "What are you saying sorry for? You have nothing to be sorry about."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes sadly, "You loved her, didn't you?"

Naruto looked away from Sasuke, his hair falling over his eyes shading them from Sasuke's view. "I do love her actually. But it's my fault, you know? I ignored her confession and acted as if nothing happened. She probably couldn't wait any longer and decided to move on. I don't blame her…"

"She still cares about you. And she always will. I'm not trying to take her from you. From what I understand she's the first person to tell you those three words. I know how much that means to you."

"Please take care of her. And if I hear that you mistreated her in any way I'll hunt you down and kick your ass." He then lifted his head and smirked at his best friend.

"Sure thing," Sasuke smirked.

-0-0-0-

"Sakura, wait!"

Sakura halted, turning around to see Hinata running towards her. "Hinata, what is it?"

Hinata stood in front of Sakura; she bit down on her bottom lip until she parted her lips to speak. "I'm sorry; I know how much Sasuke meant to you. I wasn't trying to take him from you…I just well…we formed a bond together and—"

"Hinata, its fine. You don't need to apologize to me. I know that you aren't the type of girl who would do something like that. I need to learn to give up on him anyways. He never did view me in that way no matter how much I wanted to believe that one day he'd return my feelings. I am hurt, that much I am willing to admit. But I am happy for you. It's just too bad that knucklehead is too late, you know he really liked you." Sakura exclaimed with a smile.

Hinata seemed surprised about that piece of news but decided not to voice her thoughts on that matter. "So…we are, friends?"

Sakura waved her hand in the air dismissing the question with a lighthearted laugh. "Of course we are friends Hinata. In fact we should hang out more. It would become annoying hanging out with guys so much, much less those two teammates of yours. Ino and I would love it if you ever would like to hang out with us." She offered with a happy smile.

"I'd like that very much."

"Great, I'll see you around Hinata. Be sure to keep Sasuke out of trouble." She grinned, turning around to walk away from the Hyuga.

It hadn't turned out like she thought it would but luckily Sakura had handled it well. She turned around to get ready to walk back to Naruto's but stopped when she noticed Sasuke walking towards her. She smiled warmly at him as he approached her.

"How'd it go? She didn't do anything brash did she?"

Hinata shook her head, "No, we came to an understanding. What about you?"

He stood in front of her admiring her angelic features, "He threatened to kick my ass if I hurt you." Sasuke smirked when she giggled.

"I trust you not to hurt me." She smiled brightly up at him as she walked closer, wrapping her arms around him while she rested her head on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat. "Sasuke, I love you."

Sasuke smiled warmly, resting his chin on top of her head. "I love you too, my sweet angel."


End file.
